Thanks to Anamosan Barb
Kleis, another "stone book" has been
discovered (it was buried in her back yard!).
Although it's origin is unknown, it was
undoubtedly carved by an Anamosa inmate at
approximately the same time as the Barr book
above. Was Rosebud someone's pet? Check out the
front and back images of this piece and see for
yourself.

It was
1892, and time for Carl Barr, Deputy Warden of the
Penitentiary, to leave his job. His relative, Warden
Marquis Barr, was winding up his first term as Anamosa
Warden, and had taken a job as claims agent for the
Minneapolis / St. Paul Railway. It was customary at that
time for the Warden's appointees to depart when he did.

Not much is known about Carl
Barr. He was a guard for only five months before being
appointed to Deputy Warden. We also know that he was
involved in resolving a major escape attempt, and was a central character in
the Nosy Williams episode.

He must have made his
share of friends, however. To commemorate his service at
Anamosa, someone, probably an inmate, fashioned an
extremely unusual memento: a piece of stone, resembling a
small book. Intricate designs cover both sides. Despite
wear and tear over the past century, the piece is in
remarkably good condition. It was recently listed on the
Ebay auction site, was procured by the Penitentiary
Museum, and will be on display there.

Quick-loading
low-resolution images of the memento are available, as
well as higher-resolution images. When viewing the
higher-res images, if your browser keeps
"downsizing" them, right click on the high-res
link and choose "Save Target As" to save the
image to your hard drive. You can then open it in your
favorite image/photo program to give it closer
inspection.